Lipstick and Bullets
by Drew Skye
Summary: Before Rebecca came to S.T.A.R.S., before the cannibal murders, before Spencer Mansion S.T.A.R.S. consisted of normal human beings with real lives. What was Jill's life like before the storm, back when it was just lipstick and bullets?
1. Chapter 1

_S.T.A.R.S.: Special Tactics And Rescue Service_. These men and women are the best of the best, known for their rigorous training regimen, and extremely difficult selection process. They're responsible for having resolved countless hostage situations and undercover operations. Not many can say that they're a member of S.T.A.R.S., but those who can will always say it with pride.

The Raccoon City division of S.T.A.R.S. is no exception from their organization's standard of excellence. They are divided into two teams, Alpha and Bravo. Bravo usually contains the newer members of S.T.A.R.S., and those who have built tenure and experience are eventually promoted into Alpha. The captains of their respective teams are seasoned, well trained police officers or soldiers who have been with S.T.A.R.S. the longest. In certain branches there would be a captain for each team, and a captain who supervises both teams, but in Raccoon City there was a man talented enough to be both the captain of S.T.A.R.S. collectively, and captain of Alpha team; his name was Albert Wesker, but everyone generally called him Wesker.

The calm man sat at his desk, looking over files in the quiet S.T.A.R.S. office through his trademark sunglasses. He was reviewing reports from their last search and rescue mission, a young girl who was being held ransom from her rich parents. He was reading through Joseph Frost's account of the mission, impressed with the detail in the report. Frost was a good officer, he had been doing very well in Bravo team. Not to mention he blended well with the entire team. He had been considering promoting him to Alpha, due to the departure of another Alpha member.

Wesker was ripped from his thoughts, but not startled as the phone on his desk rang loudly with an annoying high pitch. He nonchalantly picked up the reciever and placed it to his ear.

"This is Wesker."

Wesker was annoyed when he heard the whiny voice of Chief Irons on the other end, though he was careful not to let it show in his voice as he spoke back. He listened to Irons go on about hiring a new member of S.T.A.R.S., and he made a quiet decision. He would go to the training room and inform the team as soon as he finished with Irons.

"Okay, who's next?" Chris Redfield asked triumphantly. Rather than just punch a punching bag, everyone had decided to spar, tournament style. Chris had been undefeated so far, having won against Richard Aiken, Kenneth Sullivan, and now Forest Speyer. It was friendly competition, but Forest had a hard time accepting defeat.

"I want to go again." Forest said with a frustrated tone. It was obvious he wasn't a very good sportsman.

Jill Valentine watched Chris, and said "I'll go next."

She stood up from the bench, while everyone got quiet. It was common knowledge that Jill was a formidable opponent, having studied martial arts as a child and then recieving Krav Maga training while affiliated with Delta Force. When she first joined S.T.A.R.S., she was often disreguarded because she was a woman. She quickly shed that image among the men and instead was dubbed 'The Amazon' by Brad Vickers.

Forest walked over the bench muttering something to himself and Chris looked her up and down.

"Alright Valentine," Chris said playfully. "let's see what you've got."

He took his stance, and looked like a boxer with his fists clenched so closely to his face. Jill didn't assume a stance, instead she stood with her knees slightly bent and her hand at the ready by her side. She smiled at him, amuzed by the serious look in his face. He was so cute when he looked like that.

She began to circle him, making him circle with her, seeming a bit more uneasy. She looked at him again, waiting for him to attack her. She let another sly smile escape from her face while he lunged at her as if to grapple her. She evaded him easily, simply by stepping out of the way. He surprised her when he quickly turned and punched, hitting her in the arm. It made her stumble backwards, and she quickly regained her footing as Chris came at her with another swing. She caught his fist and pushed it aside, using his momentum against him and simply placing her elbow into his chest.

She heard Chris lose his breath with an _"oof!"_ and she stepped aside, hoping he would have had enough. Chris rapidly recovered, however, and came at her again. Instead of waiting for him to attack she did, hurling a palm at his handome face. Her Krav Maga training taught her to neutralize her opponent as soon as possible, while taking the least amount of damage. If she were fighting anyone other than a teammate, Chris Redfield no less, she would've already taken him out. She thought being brutal wouldn't earn her much respect among her teammates though. Her palm was caught by Chris, who began to try and twist her arm around her back in a police hold. She quickly decided to change her plan, and swiftly smacked his gut with her other arm.

He let out another _"oof!"_ and he let her arm go, but before she could turn around he had her in a headlock. Deciding against being nice from agitation, she quickly stomped Chris' foot and jammed her elbow into his ribs, and he released her. She quickly turned to face him as he charged at her yet again, and as he threw his punch she caught it, used his momentum against him yet again, and pulled him over her hip where flipped over and fell to the floor with a loud_ "Twhack!"_

Jill stepped back, feeling sweat beads begin to form on her forehead. It was difficult to spar with a teammate, and still be gentle. She stepped away from Chris on the floor, nearly certain he would try and pull her down. He looked up at her from the mat, and laughed.

"You're good." Chris said nearly breathlessly. She returned his smile and walked back over to him, reaching out to help him up. He took her hand almost hesitantly and she helped him up, when their moment was interrupted by clapping.

"Very impressive, Jill." Wesker said, a smile forming on his face. "Perhaps you should give everyone pointers."

Jill smirked, and looked away modestly. "Thanks, Captain."

He continued to walk into the room, looking at each of the members of the team.

"I've got an announcement to make." He said calmly, still the embodiment of stoicism...

**Alright everyone!  
First chapter of my new story, although short! I thought I'd just hook you with a short first chapter.**

** Please read and review, especially you Chaed!**

**Oh, and Krav Maga is an Israeli militant fighting style, and is used by the U.S. Government in teaching self-defense and hand-to-hand combat and such to the military. Just a little fun fact for you.**


	2. Chapter 2

The room fell silent, everyone completely focused on Wesker and his announcement. He looked at everyone through his sunglasses cooly. He saw in each of him the trust and dedication they had to him. They were expectantly waiting for him to speak, some of them looking impatient. He looked over to Joseph quickly, who seemed almost startled by Wesker's attention suddenly focusing on him. 

"As you all know there's an opening in the Alpha Team, which means we'll be promoting someone from Bravo. I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I've decided that Joseph--you'll be taking that spot in Alpha."

Joseph let out a wide smile, and got a pat on the back from Enrico who was sitting next to him.

"Thank you Captain. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't, Joseph."

Everyone was looking over to Joseph, congratulating him. He watched as Jill walked up to him and welcomed him to Alpha. Chris playfully gave him a high five, and Barry shook his hand. It was a nice moment, and Wesker thought he'd add to it.

"You all should take the rest of the day off." He said, calmly. "To celebrate."

It seemed the entire room cheered and everyone went to gather their things.

Jill was heading back up to the S.T.A.R.S. office, to grab her purse and head to her car. It seemed as soon as Wesker gave them the day off Joseph had ran ahead of everybody, and was on the phone at his desk telling his wife he had been promoted.

"Yeah babe, I got the promotion!"

Jill smiled, wondering when the last time she had been called babe was. She had never felt a need for a boyfriend, but she certainly knew they had their perks. She had also been thinking more and more often about Chris Redfield. Chris was by far to her the best looking guy in RPD, and she was always paired up with him in missions. Technically, they were partners; although S.T.A.R.S. didn't really pair two officers up in that manner.

"Love you too babe, see you in a few." Joseph hung up the phone.

Jill was still thinking about Chris, when he and most of the others filed into the office to get their things. Joseph walked over to everyone as Jill grabbed her purse, and he made an annoucement of his own.

"Everyone, my wife and I are having a cookout this Saturday to celebrate my promotion. You're all invited! Let me know if you're going to come."

Jill smiled. "You can count me in!" She said with a contact high of sorts off of Joseph.

She turned back, listening to everyone saying they were going to come. She shouldered her purse, and headed to the door of the office.

"See you all tomorrow." she said flatly, and walked out of the door. She continued through the corridor, and down the stairs and she began to think about marriage. Joseph and his wife seemed so happy together, and Barry loved his family more than anyone she knew. She wasn't getting any younger, either. Most women her age were either in a serious relationship or married. She had been single for about a month, after her boyfriend cheated on her. Even when she had first started dating that creep she knew he would most likely cheat...but he was a smooth talker.

_Chris would never do that._

He listened to the thought reverberate in her brain. She and Chris and always flirted, they had always given each other hell. She had always been attracted to him, but the entire time they had known each other they had always just been friends. Friends who had always been there for each other when each other's relationships didn't work. She had cried on Chris' shoulder over a couple of guys, and he had came to her when a woman did him wrong. It had never occurred to her until now that she even saw Chris as someone she would date.

"Hey Valentine!" She heard Chris call, ripping her from her thoughts.

She turned around, and Chris walked up to her.

"Got any plans tonight?" He asked, flashing her his mega-watt smile.

Jill's heart began to beat faster, and she returned his smile.

"I might. Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking if you didn't have any plans we could go get drinks and since you kicked my ass today arrange a re-match."

Jill's delicate features began to flush and she chuckled.

"I'm sure I could squeeze you in my hectic schedule. What time did you have in mind?"

"Well Miss Valentine, since your time is so precious why don't you name a time? I don't have much of a schedule."

She laughed lightly. "Um...how about 6:30?"

He scratched the back of his head, messing up his already messy spiky brunette hair.

"Sounds good to me. 6:30, Bar Jack."

Jill nodded. "It's a date then."

Chris' facial expression changed. "A_ date_?" his eyebrow arched michevously.

Jill had just then realized what she had said, her face turning a nice shade of pink.

"Don't flatter yourself, Redfield. Friends have dates too."

Chris smirked and retorted with "Hey, you're the one who said it."

Jill flipped her hair and smiled. "See you at 6:30 Redfield."

Chris nodded, and they both walked outside together.

They seperated at the parking lot to their cars, and Jill's mind was running wild.

_A date? Why did you say that?_

Jill shook her head, not understanding why she felt like she was in high school again. What confused her even more was that he had pointed out that she had said date. Was he thinking the same thing too? Was he attracted to her like she was to him? She started her car, and began to drive herself home. She tried not to focus on Chris but on the road instead, and her mind was wandering back to him each time. They had known each other even before they belonged to S.T.A.R.S., back when she was in Delta Force and he in the Air Force. They had known each other entirely too long to just now be attracted to one another.

Jill stopped herself in mid thought, reminded that she had always found him attractive. She pulled into her driveway, and grabbed her purse out of her passenger seat. She put a key into the front door of her little house, and opened the door. She walked into the cozy living room, and tossed her purse onto the couch. She walked over to her phone, and pressed a button on the answering machine.

"You have no messages." The answering machine calmly stated.

"Good." Jill said to herself sniffing her armpits to see if her workout earlier had affected her. She didn't flinch from the smell, but decided she should probably shower before going to see Chris. She had planned on it anyway. She had even planned to put on makeup too.

_It's just drinks with Chris. You've gotten drinks with Chris a million times. No big deal._

She shook her head to herself, wondering why now she saw Chris as a guy she was interested in, instead of just a great guy she was good friends and associates with. She walked into her bedroom, and took off her shoes. She knew she was going to have to get ready soon, but she turned on the TV and tried to mellow herself out a bit before getting ready.

Chris had taken Jill to Bar Jack a million times, but when she said date everything changed. He had always seen Jill as a great friend, but in the back of his mind he had feelings for her. He thought she was extremely attractive, and it always made him extremely angry when other men made her upset. When Jill came to him the last time over her last jerk for a boyfriend, he was shocked to hear he cheated on her. Chris had cheated on a woman before, but when he thought of someone cheating on Jill it angered him. She wasn't the type of woman to cheat on; she was the type of woman to leave another woman for.

As soon as Chris got home he began to get ready, going to the bathroom to shower and shave. He already had his clothing picked out in his mind, and he even decided to wear cologne. It probably won't make a difference tonight, but maybe if he acted like it was a date, it would become one...or so he hoped.

**I'm really sorry for such a lag between the first and second chapter. Writer's block grabbed me tightly, and between work and the holiday season I've had a hard time coming up with material. lol Anyway, thank you for your patience and I hope your Christmas (or any other holiday for that matter) was great, and I wish you all a very successful New Year!**

**One more thing--if you have any suggestions as to where you'd like the story to go, please let me know. So far my developoments in the story have been lackluster...maybe with suggestions I'd find a little inspiration.**

** I have an idea for just a little short songfic, and it might be finished tonight. Keep an eye out for it, it's called "Like You'll Never See Me Again."**

**If you haven't guessed, it's going to involve our favorite lovers Chris and Jill. **


	3. Chapter 3

Jill sat at a table in the bar, sipping on a bottle of beer and waiting on Chris. She had shown up early, deciding not to look quite like some kind of beauty queen. She had put on eyeliner, and put on a nice button up blouse and jeans. She felt a bit silly over her sudden crush on Chris Redfield, she doubted he had felt the same way. They were excellent friends; why would she want to ruin that by dating him? Besides, she did find him attractive, but what woman in her right mind didn't think he was handsome? He was also a notorious ladies' man, she could easily be mistaking his charm for flirtation. On top of all of it, they were coworkers. There was no way Wesker would allow an interoffice relationship.

She shrugged to herself at her thoughts, and took another sip of her beer.

_What's so wrong with being alone anyway? There's no one to answer to._

She looked up to the entrance, and saw Chris walk in to the bar, looking a bit dressed up. He was wearing khakis, and a brown leather bomber jacket that she assumed he had in the air force that had 'Made in Heaven' and an angel embroidered on the back. He looked over to her and smiled, and walked in her direction. She smiled, and he took the seat in front of her, his cologne catching up to him as he stopped.

"Wow Redfield, you even shaved. All just for me?" She said, chuckling. Chris looked at her and smiled, nodding his head. "I guess so." He looked over to the bar, and looked at her beer.

"That looks good, I'm going to get one." He got up and walked to the bar, to order his drink. He was slightly disappointed that Jill was serious about simply being friends. He didn't mind being her friend, but he certainly didn't mind being more either. He stood at the bar while the bartender finished making a customer's drink. The hefty Italian bartender glanced up at Chris and smiled.

"Heeeey Chris! What'll ya have?"

"Hey Marco. Just give me a longneck."

"You got it, chief! Hey, that your lady over there?" The bartender asked, motioning to Jill with the bottle.

Chris smirked. "Nah, we're just good friends."

The bartender gave him a shocked expression. "What are ya, crazy!? Look at her."

Chris laughed and shrugged. "She's a good friend. That's all I know."

The bartender shook his head. "Well, these beers are on the house. Maybe you'll get her smashed enough to be your lady." He said, with a hint of disapproval that Chris wasn't dating Jill.

"Hey thanks Marco." Chris said politely, and took his beer to the table.

He sat back at the table, and opened his beer with his hand. At first there was no talking, just Jill looking around and sipping her beer, and Chris taking long drinks. Jill was the first to break the awkward silence.

"I'm really excited that Joseph took Bryan's spot on the team."

"Yeah, Joe's a good guy. If anyone deserves it, it's him." He replied, taking another swig of his beer.

"Are you going to his cookout this weekend?" She asked, looking over at the bartender who was yellling at a drunk man.

"Yeah, I'll probably make an appearance." He said cooly, making it sound as if he had other plans.

"An appearance, huh?" Jill asked, seeing right through his charade.

"You know what I mean." Chris said, arching an eyebrow. "Besides, Claire and I haven't hung out in a while and I should really spend some time with her."

"Oh, well I don't think Joe would mind you taking her along."

Chris shook his head. "Nah, she probably wouldn't want to hang out with a bunch of guys she hardly knows."

"I'll be there." Jill said "Claire and I get along pretty well."

"Yeah" Chris replied "She likes you more than she's liked any of my girlfriends."

They both laughed. "That's probably because I'm not your girlfriend."

Chris nodded. "True, that and you're not a bitch."

Jill almost choked on her beer. "Why _do_ you always end up dating possessive bitches?"

Chris took a drink of his beer, and set it down. "Probably the same reason you always end up dating jerks."

She laughed. "Not all of them are jerks...remember Ben?"

Chris squinted his eyes in thought. "The one that was girlier than you?"

"I preferred to call it sensitive." Jill said, making quotation marks with her fingers.

"Yeah...sensitive. I think he wanted to date me instead of you."

Jill laughed out loud. "Oh, did you have a thing for him? I still have his number somewhere."

Chris shook his head quickly, quick to protect his heterosexuality. "NO!"

Jill laughed even louder, taking the last drink of her beer. "So what's this you were saying about a rematch?"

A ominous smile spread across Chris' face. "I can't let a girl beat me up."

"That's something you'll have to get used to, you know."

"Not in the rematch I want to do."

She looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I want to take you to a shooting range. Everyone knows you can fight, but can you shoot?"

Jill scoffed. "I'm no marksman, why would I waste my time competing with you, a marksman?"

Chris smiled again. "The same reason I would spar with a woman I've seen take down men twice her size."

She laughed. "Fine. When is this going down?"

He shrugged. "I don't know...tomorrow?"

She shook his hand, accepting the challenge she knew she was going to lose. They both got up from the table, having spent a lot of time in the bar. It was nearly 8:00.

"Well, I better go. I still need to do some laundry." Jill said, putting a tip on the table from her purse.

"Yeah, I should probably call Claire."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow."

They hugged, and Jill saw Marco the bartender give Chris a thumbs-up as they exited. They walked to their cars, and waved bye to Chris when she got into hers. She drove home, and walked into her cozy home. She tossed her purse in the usual place on the couch, and walked over to the answering machine whose blinking light indicated a new message.

She pressed the button, and listened to Wesker's cool voice flow through the speakers.

"Jill...it's Wesker. There's a situation that requires S.T.A.R.S. attention immediately. Come in at 7:30 in the morning for briefing." She heard the click from the phone being hung up.

Jill sighed, and went into the bathroom and washed her face. She couldn't help but feel that she was being watched from the bathroom window, but just credited it to nerves from hearing about a new case.

She walked into her bedroom, and began to change into her nightclothes that consisted of an oversized T-shirt. She sat on the bed and turned on her TV, watching a rerun of an old sitcom. She leaned back against her headboard, and sighed at the TV. It was an episode she had already seen.

Flipping through the channels, she found herself bored with what the television had to offer her. She turned it off and put the remote on the nightstand. She opened the drawer and pulled out a small book, with a small label in the middle that had 'diary' engraved in it prominently.

Jill had kept a diary ever since she was a little girl, and she still kept her tradition alive. To her, it was a way to commit things to paper so that she never forgot. She took the pen out of it's holder on the diary, and opened it to a new page.

_"April 23, 1998._

_Not a really an eventful day. Joseph was promoted to Alpha team, which is exciting for all of us. I also kicked Chris' ass today while sparring, in his words. I also had a small revelation about Chris, which was quickly squashed. Anyway, I think for a second I actually wanted to date him. Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing...but Chris is such a good friend. It would be silly to complicate our friendship. A new case is being presented to Alpha team tomorrow, 7:30 comes awfully early. Hopefully it's something that can be resolved easily. Chris wants to settle the score tomorrow with a shooting contest. The odds are definitely in his favor, but I'd sure like to give him a run for his money. Until then, I guess."_

She closed the diary, and put it back in it's place. She peeled the covers back in her bed, feeling sleepy and a bit sore from sparring today and closed her eyes as she slid under the covers. She reached up and turned off her lamp, and rolled over to get comfortable. It wasn't long before her mind that was unusually focused on Chris again drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, a teenage girl was strapped to a chair in a damp room, soaked to the bone and cold. She was extremely disoriented, and scared at the same time. She had gone to sleep in her bed, and woke up strapped to a chair in this dimly lit room. Her blurred vision slowly focused on a figure standing at a table, tinkering with something intently. Whoever it was hadn't noticed she was awake.

"Where am I?" She said weakly.

The figure quickly turned around, pointing a gun at the girl and pulling the trigger. A tranquilizer dart stuck into the girl's neck, sending sedatives into her bloodstream and before she could let a frightened yelp escape from her lips she was already unconsious again. The figure walked up to her, yanking the needle out of her neck fiercely and throwing it to the side of the room. The person then walked back to the table, and resumed sharpening a large bowie knife.

He pressed his fingers to his ear, and listened to the earpice intently.

"RPD is on to us."

**...Uh oh...I just hate creepy serial-killer types!**

**Sorry if some of you expected Chris and Jill to express undying love to one another, but this story takes place before my first one, where their first kiss and essential romance occurs. Fear not, though; there will still be plenty of flirtation in chapters to come. Just nothing really over the top. **

** Anyway, please review! It would be greatly appreciated. **


	4. Chapter 4

Chris walked into his apartment, and cursed for not remembering to leave on a light. He walked gingerly into his living room, tripping over one of the many things in his floor and catching himself on the coffee table. He sighed loudly, and picked himself up. He then stepped carefully and slowly to the light switch in his kitchen, and noticed the red light blinking on his answering machine. He turned on the light in his kitchen that instantly filled the place with a bright light, and Chris closed his eyes and rubbed them, frustrated with his entire evening. It started well, with Jill insinuating a date, but then when he showed up to meet her, she didn't appear to have wanted one. He walked over to the answering the machine, and pressed a button next to a screen that indicated he had two messages. 

"Chris, it's Claire. Call me back."

Chris picked up a pen and wrote Claire on a piece of paper next to the machine. He pressed the button again to listen to the next message.

"Hello Chris, this is Wesker. There's a situation and you need to be here by 7:30 for briefing."

Chris let out another sigh, and deleted the two messages, and walked into his bedroom, stripping. Chris didn't mind dressing, but he detested khakis and button up shirts. They were extremely uncomfortable to him, as he was much more accustomed to a t-shirt and jeans. He walked over to his bed, stripped to his underwear. He reached over to his alarm clock, and set it to go off at 6:30. He would probably sleep in until seven, and then he would have to race the clock to briefing. Usually he wanted to be very punctual for work, but he felt a bit defeated for the entire day. His mind was drifting across many topics, when he came to his shooting match with Jill tomorrow. He smiled and rolled over in his bed, looking forward to Jill being the one defeated.

.:The next morning:.

Jill pulled her hair into a short ponytail, and walked into her bathroom to give herself a once over. She was wearing one of her S.T.A.R.S. uniforms, although they looked more like street clothes. It was a white shirt that prominently displayed the S.T.A.R.S. logo on the left side, and POLICE across the back of her shoulders with S.T.A.R.S. under it on the middle of her back. She wore jeans, and her police belt with her badge on the side. She clipped her leg holster on, and looked back into the mirror. Her hair was in a ponytail, but she had allowed her bangs to grow out and they were still too short to be pulled back. Instead, they framed her face apart from the ponytail.

She walked back into her bedroom, and sat down on her bed with her boots at her feet. She slid her first foot into them, and began to lace them. She looked at her clock on the nightstand, and gasped. She had five minutes before she had to be out the door. She threw the other boot on and laced it hastily.

"How does time go by so fast!?" She said to herself as she tucked her shirt into her jeans and headed back into the bathroom. She wasn't any kind of superficial woman, but she made it a point to always wear some kind of makeup every day. Most generally she would wear eyeliner. She put it on as quickly and carefully as possible without putting her eye out.

She grabbed her purse and keys and walked through the living room out to her front porch, where she locked the door behind her. She turned and with a brisk pace went to her car, getting in and starting the engine. She put the car into reverse, and froze. She was entirely certain she was being watched. It wasn't just nerves, it was almost eerie how strong the feeling was. She looked around, trying to see someone, but was unsuccessful. She sighed, and backed out of her driveway frustrated she had wasted a good two minutes.

Her drive to RPD wasn't horrible; she had made her way down there before rush hour. She got out of the car, slamming the door and making sure it was locked. She shouldered her purse and walked toward the building quickly. She went into the building, nodding and smiling to her fellow officers that were greeting her. She made her way through the corridor, until she walked into the conference room. She wasn't late, but nearly everyone she imagined would be involved with the case was already there...except Chris.

"Good morning, Jill." Wesker's stoic voice flowed through the air. She smiled and nodded to him, taking her seat. She looked across the table at Joseph and Barry. Joseph's smile was ear to ear, most likely because this was his first case with Alpha. She nodded to the two gentlemen, who nodded back to her.

"Where is Chris?" Wesker asked, looking at his watch. "He's usually on time."

Everyone exchanged glances, but their initial reaction was to look at Jill. Blush escaped from her cheeks as she shrugged to the three men looking at her. Just as she was going to open her mouth to speak, she heard jogging footsteps outside the door and the door opened and closed quickly.

"Chris--so kind of you to join us." Wesker said.

"I apologize, sir." Chris replied, winking at Jill.

"Hmph." Wesker said quietly. "Just don't let it happen again. Shall we begin?"

Everyone nodded, wondering what to expect.

Wesker turned around to the dry erase board at the front of the room, and began to write names in black marker. Next to each of them, he wrote down a date and street location in the city. There were three names written down on the board, with their respective dates and streets written down. Under their names he wrote 'Diazepam A.K.A. Valium,' and circled it.

"Now, here are three young girls who were taken from their homes during the night, and within three days were found dead. These streets are where each girl was found, each of them weren't far from their homes either. These dates are frighteningly close, and all of these girls were found with high amounts of diazepam in their system. These girls were also found missing both of their feet, none of which have been found."

Wesker turned from the board, and wrote another name down on the board. "Alicia McKinney." He turned from the board, and peered through his sunglasses at his team.

"This girl has been missing for a day. Today is day two, and according to the killer's pattern she most likely will be killed tonight. We have a location, team."

They all nodded, and Jill raised her hand. "Captain, did the autopsies show that their feet were severed before or after death?"

Wesker nodded at her question, and looked at his paper. "From what I can see, they were removed after death."

She nodded, and Chris raised his hand. "Who would have access to so much valium? A doctor?"

Wesker nodded. "It's a possibility, or even a pharmacist. Someone who is good friends with one..."

Wesker set down the papers. "Either way, we've got the location of where we think these people are taking these girls and keeping them until they die. There is an abandoned house for sale that is relatively close to both these girls' homes and where their bodies are found. It's 2930 South Boston Place. It's risky, especially during daylight, but we're going to enter the home and search. Hopefully we won't be too late."

Everyone nodded, letting it all sink in.

"No questions?" The room was silent. "Alright, well go suit up. You'll want to wear your tactical gear."

Everyone got up from the table and walked out into the hallway towards their locker room. Jill walked next to Chris, saying nothing. She was looking at his face, and Chris turned and caught her.

"Do you like what you see?" Chris said playfully.

"You could use a few improvements, but other than that, sure." She said, chuckling.

"I guess our shooting match will have to be postponed."

"I was thinking about that." Jill said. "I think it's only fair you help me to be a better shot before you compete against me."

Chris laughed. "Oh, no. I can't fight like you! Why would I teach you how to shoot?"

"For the better of the team, of course! If it makes you feel better, I'll teach you how to fight better."

Chris scoffed. "I don't need any help with my fighting skills."

Jill scoffed back at him loudly. "Is that why I can kick your ass?"

Chris' face turned a light red, a rare occurrence to those who knew him. "Fine."

They walked into the locker room, and opened their lockers, taking out their tactical uniforms. They began to change clothes, turning away from Jill. She quickly changed her shirt and then her pants, making sure no one was looking. Chris had already changed his pants, and was shirtless.

_Wow, what a great...backside._

She tucked in her shirt, turning away from Chris' shirtless form. She put on her belt, and her shoulder pads that her teammates used to give her such a hard time for. She clipped the clasp together on the shoulder pads under her breasts with a click, and began to put on her boots. She took hair tie out of her hair, and flipped her hair to make her hair fall in place. She took the beret out of the locker, and placed it on her head.

She looked at the men, who were just finishing putting on their knife sheaths. They walked out of the locker room, and upstairs to the S.T.A.R.S. office to get further instructions from Wesker. They walked into the office, where Wesker sat at his desk on the phone.

"Yes, could you come in for an interview tomorrow at 10: 30?"

He listened for a moment, looking up at his team.

"I look forward to seeing you then, Miss Chambers."

He hung up the phone and adjusted his glasses. "Barry and Joseph, you'll go in from the front. Jill, pick the lock in the back and Barry will create a distraction by knocking on the front door. From there, you and Chris can investigate in the back area of the house. You will search for any sign of a suspect or victim, and meet up somewhere in the house and discuss your findings. Take two cars, one unmarked. Go quickly, I'll be listening by radio."

They left the office, and got into their police cars from the parking garage. Barry and Joseph took the marked car, and Chris and Jill took the other. They pulled out into the sunlight, which was a contrast from the darkness of parking garage.

"You nervous? This case sounds like some psycho stuff." Chris asked Jill.

"Not really, just curious to see what we find. Are you?"

"No." Chris was quick to say. "After all, I'm the better shot."

Jill laughed, and then looked out the window. "You think Wesker will give us the rest of the day off if we find the girl?"

"No, you know Wesker and Irons will want reports probably by the next hour. You know how strict they are."

Chris smiled over at Jill, nudging her with his elbow. "You gettin' lazy Valentine?"

She smirked, and shook her head. "No, I'm just anxious to take you up on those shooting lessons."

Chris smiled and nodded, looking to the road. "Yeah, I'm pretty excited about you being my _sensei_!" He said with a horrible Oriental accent.

She laughed loudly, and it made Chris feel tension in his stomach. She was so gorgeous when she laughed, and he made her do it.

"You're crazy." She said, still chuckling as they rounded the corner to the house in question.

"Well, here we are." Chris said, putting the car into park.

The house had a for sale sign in the front yard, and was a relatively decent house. There was aluminium foil over the windows, which was odd. Chris nodded to Barry and Joseph as they walked up to the front door, and waited to approach the back door until they heard Barry's booming voice say "Police, open up!"

They walked around the back quickly, which looked much more ominous with the foil over the windows. On the side that wasn't seen, the paint was cracked and falling off of the house. There were large shade trees in the back yard, shielding it from sunlight and making it darker, harder to see. Jill reached for her lockpicks and kneeled in front of the door, and placed her picks in.

She fooled around with the tumblers in the lock and Chris looked around behind her. They could still hear Barry's voice on the other side of the house, and with a turn of her wrist and a click, the door was unlocked.

"The back is open." Chris said into his earpiece, and Jill put up her lockpick and drew her gun. She put her back to the door, and looked at Chris waiting for his go ahead. They heard a crash towards the front, which was Barry kicking in the door. Chris nodded to Jill, who opened the door and Chris ran in aiming his gun, Jill behind him. The house was pitch black inside, and the musty odor that emanated made Jill think no one must've been in this house in a while.

They took out their flashlights, and looked around. They were in what looked like the kitchen. From the kitchen there were two doorways, one leading to the front door where Barry and Joseph were heading up the stairs, Chris motioned he was going to go search one side of the house, and he motioned her to search the other side. She nodded, and they went separately.

Jill walked through the doorway, which looked like a recreation room. She pointed the gun looking at the dust in the beam of her light. It was eerie in this house, why did someone need it to be pitch black? She pointed the flashlight around the room, and came upon another set of stairs; presumably to the basement. She headed down the stairs, that creaked in agony with each step she took. She reached the end of the stairs, and saw another door, it was in the ground like a type of storm shelter.

She walked towards the door, and didn't notice a figure emerge from behind her under the stairs. Her beam was trained on the door in the floor that she walked towards, and she stopped to look at it. The dark figure silently walked up behind her as a cheetah would its prey. She still didn't detect it behind her.

As she kneeled down to the door to try and open it, the figure grabbed her, and before she could employ any kind of self defense, a needle plunged into her neck, and she let out the slightest of yelps as she slumped to the floor in a valium -induced slumber.

The figure tilted its head to the side as it studied her in the floor, the flashlight beam only cutting into the wall.

**Oh, dear! Careless Jill, always getting herself into predicaments. Haha! This is a longer chapter than I usually do, but expect more soon. I couldn't stand to be so mean and make you wait for more.**

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Nothing suspicious upstairs, just empty. What's it look like downstairs?" Barry's voice came through the earpice to Chris. 

"I haven't found anything of interest on this side of the house, but it's empty here too." Chris said, waiting for Jill to respond.

"Jill, what about your end?" Chris said after waiting a moment.

"Jill?"

"Jill?" Barry and Joseph began saying.

"Jill...I'm on my way if you can hear this." Chris said, running to the doorway where he last saw her. He didn't know that the creature could hear them on her earpice.

He ran into the large empty room, pointing his gun and flashlight frantically. He was worried, he didn't want anything to happen to Jill. He felt completely awful...he separated from her, left her vulnerable. He came upon stairs, and jogged down them pointing his gun and flashlight and ignoring Barry's warnings not to go alone.

His flashlight beam came across a basement that damp and ever musty. It was completely creepy. He searched for her frantically with the flashlight, until he found her unconscious in the floor in front of an old washer and dryer. His eyes widened as he walked quickly toward her whispering "Oh god." He pressed his hand to his earpiece and nearly yelled "We've got an officer down!"

He turned Jill over, and inspected her for any kind of gunshot or stab wounds as he set down his flashlight. The only thing he saw was what looked like a small blood spot on her smooth neck. The figure was already behind him when he realized that for her to be unconscious, it had to be inflicted. He was so caught up in finding her, he hadn't even thought about a suspect or anything else for that matter.

He turned around the the tall figure punched him in the face and tried to stab him with a needle. Chris grabbed its arm, dropping his gun and trying to move the arm away but it was much stronger than him. It grabbed Chris, picking him up off of his feet, and threw him to the ground. The figure then quickly ran towards him before he had time to recover, trying to stab him with a needle. The creature was strong, and Chris was barely keeping the needle out of his neck.

There was no sound, he wasn't hearing anything on his earpiece or otherwise since he found Jill. It seemed reality shifted, Jill was on the ground, and now he was too, deafened by his guilt and fear as the needle grew closer to his neck. Everything continued to happen and Chris tried yet again to push the thing's arm away, to little avail. A loud gunshot rang out, bringing sound back and knocking the thing off of him. He sat up to see Barry scowling at him and Joseph pointing his gun around for cover.

"I told you about going alone. Now where's Jill?" The concern in Barry's voice for the two of them was showing as he walked up to the creature, putting handcuffs on him and telling him his Miranda rights. Chris walked up to Jill and picked her up off of the ground, cradling her in his arms. He walked past Joseph up the stairs with Jill in his arms, and out of the front door to see Wesker and paramedics heading towards the box.

Wesker's expression didn't change as he cooly looked at Chris.

"Give Jill to the paramedics, and get yourself checked. You've already got what looks like a black eye."

He pressed a hand to his ear as Barry's voice came through. "The suspect has been apprehended."

Wesker walked into the house nonchalantly, drawing his gun and took out his flashlight looking through his shades even in the pitch black. Wesker didn't like to show his eyes, they were one of the few things that could show his emotion without his control.

He stepped down into the basement, to see Joseph and Barry picking up Jill's beret and both Chris and Jill's guns. A tall person in dark clothes was lying face down on the floor, bleeding. Wesker calmly reached at the end of the stairs to a light switch, and turned it on.

Instantly the room was brightened, and a door into the floor was exposed. He looked at Barry and Joseph through his sunglasses who looked back at him, bewildered.

"Sometimes you have to think out of the box gentlemen. We'll have to get him some medical treatment, but not before we check out this door."

He walked over to the door, wondering whether or not he should be worried his team didn't have the common sense to turn on a light. Obviously the aluminium foil was on the windows to prevent anyone knowing if lights were on or not. He knelt down to the floor, and opened the handle. He opened the door carefully, pointing his gun down into the dimly lit room with the two men covering him.

He climbed down the ladder to the moist floor, looking at a large knife sitting on the table, and then to an unconscious girl bound to a chair.. He glanced over to the corner of the room, noticing an old refrigerator. He decided to get the girl out of the room, and investigate further. He walked over to the girl, who he could now tell wasn't unconscious but pretending to be, her breathing getting heavier and faster as his boots made noise closer to her.

"Alicia?" He said in his normal voice, putting a gloved hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes fluttered open, and Wesker let a comforting smile appear across his face to her.

"We're the police Alicia...you're safe now." He took a knife out of its holster and the girl flinched. He went to cut the rope, and she let out a whimper of fear. She was petrified, and he thought maybe his sunglasses were what scared her.

He bent down, and removed his trademark sunglasses, revealing strikingly deep cobalt eyes that undoubtfully showed his intent with her. She looked at him, studied his expression, still silent.

"I need to cut you out of these ropes. I promise I won't hurt you."

Alicia nodded, with small dark circles under her eyes.

"I want my mom."

Wesker began to cut the ropes that bound her, nodding.

"We'll get you your mom as soon as we get you back to the station."

She nodded, and he cut the ropes at her feet.

He looked at her bare feet, and sighed. These men were really sick to do such horrible things to young girls.

He picked her up, and carried her up the ladder until they got out of the room. He looked to the man lying in the floor. He pulled a string on his back, and began to hear beeping.

"Get out of here, he's just activated a bomb!" Wesker said, the actual emotion resonating in his voice.

Joseph and Barry ran up the stairs, and Wesker carrying the girl made up up the stairs and they made it into the kitchen where there was a loud boom, and the entire house shook as the little girl screamed and they fell to the floor. Wesker's ears were ringing and he checked to make sure the girl was okay.

He got up, and dusted himself off as Barry and Joseph helped the little girl up. Wesker picked the girl back up and the three men walked out of the house, where many other officers were rushing into the house. He could hear sirens in the distance, most likely from the fire department. He straightened his sunglasses and sighed as the police took the little girl.

Chris was standing next to the gurney in the ambulance, holding Jill's hand as they were heading to the hospital. He looked at her face, completely peaceful in rest. Her beret was missing from her head, and the paramedics kept looking at the spot where the needle was inserted. He sighed, and the paramedic looked at Chris.

"Do you want your eye looked at?"

Chris glared over at the paramedic in an irritated manner, even though it hurt to do so.

"Just take care of the lady."

**Alright, alright. There you have it--especially you, Chaed! Wesker came and saved the day!  
I hope it was worth the suspense!  
I'm thinking in the next chapter a new character will be introduced...by the name of Miss Chambers? Stay tuned, and be sure to submit a review!**


	6. Chapter 6

It had been two hours, and Jill Valentine still lay asleep in the strangest kind of sleep she had ever encountered. It was powerful. It made her sleep without a single dream and when she tried to open her eyelids, they felt as if they were made of steel and couldn't be lifted. For about thirty minutes she had been fighting the valium in her system. When she got closer to waking up, she could feel something holding her hand and she was curious to see who or what it was. She prayed she wasn't still in danger, though she had been careless to have put herself in this situation. 

Chris sat with his emerald gaze on Jill's fluttering eyelids. He continuted to hold her hand, wanting to comfort her in any way he could. The doctors told him that she had been injected with valium, and she might take at least another hour to wake up. Chris ignored both the suggestions of the doctors and Wesker himself to go back to work to make a report. Wesker knew how close they were, and he was crazy to think he was going to abandon her at a time like this. He felt as if it was his fault she was lying there anyway. Chris reached up to rub his eye, and flinched having forgot he had been punched. His eye didn't hurt until he thought about it, and the throbbing kept his attention on it. It was a nice shade of deep red, which would turn to purple tomorrow.

He rubbed the pad of his thumb over Jill's soft knuckles lovingly. Their roles were usually reversed, and Chris laughed at the irony of the situation. It was what had earned Jill so much respect; she saved her teammates' skins on more than one occasion. He knew she would be okay, but he still felt worried about her. A piece of her hair had fallen into her face, and he carefully reached and moved it to the side of her delicate face.

Jill felt what seemed like a hand move across her face, moving her hair. Finally it seemed as if she would win her battle against the valium. Her eyelids lifted, exposing her pale azure eyes again to the world. It took a moment for her eyes to focus, she felt as if the room was spinning. She could hear a voice, but not make out what was being said. Finally, her eyes came to focus and she realized she was in a hospital room. She also realized that the voice belonged to Chris, and he was saying her name. She slowly looked over to him, his handsome face marred with a black eye.

"Jill!?"

She smiled, and looked down at his hand that was holding hers tightly. She put her other hand over his and blinked slowly.

"Welcome back." He said with one of his trademark smiles.

"Thanks. How long was I out?"

Chris looked at his watch. "About two and a half hours. How you feeling?"

She removed her free hand from his, and ran it through her hair. "I feel...odd."

Chris nodded, and she slowly put her fingertip under his black eye. "What happened to you?"

He let out an embarrassed chuckle, and gently moved her hand from his face. "Got punched when I was looking for you."

She frowned. "All I remember is walking down the stairs, and then I got stabbed." She put her hand on the bandage on her neck.

"The doctors said you would have some bruising because of how hard he injected you."

She nodded. "Feels like he tried to cut off my shoulder with it."

Chris laughed, and patted her hand. "Just take it easy. I think the doctors said that you could go home after you woke up."

She nodded, and leaned back in her bed. "I don't think I should drive though."

Chris playfully tapped her good shoulder with his fist and smiled.

"Well, I can drive you."

She grinned at him as he stood up. "Thank you, Chris. It was really great of you to stay here with me."

"Hey--" he replied. "what are friends for?"

Chris walked out of the room, leaving Jill to look around the hospital room. She had never liked hospitals all that much, she had to spend too much time at one when her mother had cancer. She looked at Chris' chair that was pulled up to the bed. She smiled at the thought of him being here for her. For the first time in a while she didn't feel so alone. Chris had always been a good friend, he was even there for her when her father died. Chris had a lot of insightful things to say to her about coping with death; his parents had died when he and his sister were young.

She wondered what they had uncovered back at that house, if anything. She hoped they apprehended the man who rendered her unconsious and gave Chris a black eye. Chris would probably be able to answer her questions. She sighed, and attempted to clear her mind. She would have a report to write soon. She put her hands behind her head, and relaxed until Chris came back.

_What a great guy._

_Chris walked throu_gh the door holding Jill's clothes, smiling.

"Guess what!"

"What?"

"The doctors say you can go home. They want you to sign the release papers and then you'll be free to go. Here's your uniform."

"Great!" she said, a sleepy smile going across her mouth.

She picked up her shirt, and then looked over to Chris. She slid out of the bed, and tried to get up, only to stumble and have Chris catch her. The drugs still were affecting her balance, and she was starting to feel disoriented again.

"Do you need help going to the bathroom to change?" He asked her, concern being the primary tone in his voice.

She nodded, putting a hand to her head.

He walked her to the bathroom, handing her the shirt and pants that went to her uniform.

Jill smiled as she closed the door, and took off the hospital gown. She began to put on her uniform, and left off the pads and holsters. She looked at her pale face in the mirror. She was entirely unsure how she allowed herself to be attacked. She had known better than that. She sighed, and turned on the water faucet and began to rub cool water over her face. She dried her face and closed the faucet.

She walked out of the bathroom, and cringed at Chris' worsening eye.

"That looks really painful, Chris."

He touched it gingerly and shrugged. "It'll hurt worse tomorrow I'm sure. Let's go."

Chris offered Jill his arm, which she took with a grin. The two walked out of the hospital room to the front desk to sign her release papers.

"You'll need at least a day before going back to work. Be careful next time, dear." The nurse told her, and Chris held back a loud laugh.

Jill nodded and smiled politely and they walked over to the elevator. Chris pushed the button, and in a few seconds the elevator responded with a pleasant 'ping!'

"You should really be more careful." Chris said, mocking the nurse.

"Shut up Redfield." She said, shaking her head and trying not to laugh.

Rebecca Chambers was young. In fact, young was an understatement. A child prodigy, Rebecca was home schooled and graduated from high school at fifteen. In her hometown, she was a celebrity, known for her vast intelligence. Anything she had tried to learn was seemingly instantly sealed in her brain. Shortly after graduating from high school, she attended college and left with a degree in chemistry. She was eighteen upon completing her studies, blowing her professors away and impressing even the most world-renowned scientists. She specialized in a more medical chemist, considering a career in the pharmaceutical field.

Being a pharmacist seemed awfully boring to her on second thought, and she had decided she wanted more action. She noticed that a nearby town Raccoon City was looking for a medic for their S.T.A.R.S. team. She placed a call, and spoke with an odd man named Brian Irons, the chief of police. From there, she landed an interview with the team's captain, Albert Wesker. Rebecca was rarely intimidated, but being on the precipice of doing something that most police officers worked years to achieve gave Rebecca nervous chills.

She sat at her desk, looking over her resume that she would present to Captain Wesker during her interview. It seemed so empty, so inexperienced...yet she was nearly the opposite. She felt as if she had a century under her belt. She sighed, and got up from the desk.

"Stop worrying." She said to herself. "You'll do fine."

**Okay, sorry for making you all wait for more...I wanted to write something of quality, and I didn't feel very good about this chapter. I feel it's decent at best. Rebecca always struck me as the type who speaks to herself. After all, she's still a kid. Jill and Chris...(sigh) They're the best. Always being there for each other and all...gives you goosebumps, huh?**

**I'll do my best to be faster in posting updates. **


	7. Chapter 7

Jill sat on the couch in her home across from Chris, who had made Jill some of his 'famous' hot chocolate. She watched the wispy steam rise slowly from the cup, writhing in the air until it vanished. In all the years she had known Chris, she had never known him to be much of a cook. She looked at the concoction in the mug and blew on the surface before taking a small sip. The doctor had suggested she get a few extra hours of sleep tonight, otherwise she would've gladly had coffee. However, she was fairly sensitive to caffeine and Chris detested coffee. She glanced over to Chris, who had already polished off half of his drink. He looked over to her expectantly from his seat on the couch, waiting for her to take a drink. 

"Well...are you going to take a drink?"

She smiled politely, and looked down again at the unseasonably warm drink. She blew on it again lightly, and put the cup to her lips to take a sip. The hot liquid passed her lips, and Jill was fairly impressed by the taste of the drink. She held it closer to her mouth with both hands, blowing more of the steam away.

"It's actually very good. I'm impressed." She said, smiling over at him.

The eye that wasn't nearly swelled shut of Chris' glinted with pride as a boastful smile spread across his face.

"We Redfields have a knack for being impressive, you know."

She looked over at him, her face blank. Chris' smile slowly faded, and he waited for her response, as he knew it was inevitable after a comment like that. Jill took a few more slow sips, and leaned back leisurely in her seat.

"Is it a family recipe then?"

Chris smiled lightly, and nodded his head.

"Grandma's recipe."

She nodded slowly, setting her mug down on the endtable and looking over at him sleepily. She hadn't felt all that tired before, but it seemed that the doctor was right in thinking she would need more sleep; it was only seven thirty. For a second, the two sat in the cozy living room in silence. They had been friends for so long that sometimes they could communicate without words. Chris looked around the living room, at the picture of a young woman and a little girl in pigtails with a missing front tooth. He smirked to himself at the look of complete and utter joy in the young Jill's face, and the regal and stunning smile of her mother. Jill didn't talk about her mother very much, who died when she was about six of seven. From what she had said, she was very close to her mother. Nevertheless, Chris knew exactly where Jill inherited her unique and delicate beauty.

Jill noticed Chris looking at something behind her, and she turned around to see what he was looking at.

"My mother never called me by my real name, it was always baby or sweetie. She told me before she died that was her favorite picture."

Chris nodded slowly, taking the last drink from his mug and he stood up from his seat on the couch. He walked into the kitchen, and put his mug in the sink and rinsed it. He couldn't count how many times he had gotten in trouble with Jill for not doing that when he was at her house. He walked back into the living room, and Jill stood up from her seat.

"I think I'm going to run on home now. You need to get some rest."

"Yeah, I am getting a bit sleepy." She replied, stretching and then wincing from her sore muscle on her neck.

Chris chuckled and walked up to her, and the two embraced tightly.

"Thanks for everything today, Chris. I owe you." She kissed him on his cheek, close to his ear, and Chris gave her waist a couple of squeezes.

"Hey, what are friends for? You'd do the same for me, and twice as good."

She smiled as they pulled away, and she walked him to her door.

"I'll call you tomorrow and see when you're due back." He said as he walked out.

"Alright, talk to you then."

Jill walked over to the coffee table, and took the last few drinks of her lukewarm hot chocolate. She walked into the kitchen, surprised to see no mess left by Chris. She placed the cup in the sink, next to Chris'. She then turned and walked towards the living room again, and stopped by the trashcan to see an empty box and the remains of a hot cocoa powder mix. Jill smirked to herself, and headed into her bedroom.

"I knew it."

Wesker and the members of S.T.A.R.S. who weren't in the hospital were really quite busy with their paperwork, explaining why the house exploded and their only suspect in this entire case is dead. The firefighters had been able to extinguish the flames rather easily, but unfortunately Jill and Chris' assailant was basically vaporized. Other investigators were called onto the scene, including Chief Irons, and upon searching the underground room they found an old refrigerator that contained severed feet, most likely those of the previous victims. It appeared that this case was solved, especially with who seemed like the prime suspect dead and the latest victim rescued.

He sympathized with Chris and Jill, but yet he didn't feel much at that. He expected Chris to report to work the next day, and he had decided to give Jill a day before returning back to work. He needed their reports, and quickly; Chief Irons most likely wishes to put this case behind them as soon as possible. Besides, the two of them had much more important things to take care of. He sighed, and leaned back in his Italian leather office chair. He read over the last paragraph he typed in his report, and looked at the clock in the corner of his computer.

"Six already?" He quietly said to himself, peering through his shades.

He decided that the report might be able to wait until tomorrow to be finished. He closed the window in his computer, and quickly closed an email from William Birkin, one he became angered at himself with because he had carelessly left it open. Usually no one bothered the S.T.A.R.S. office, and anyone who knew better left Wesker's area alone...but he's learned on multiple occasions that things do not always go as they should.

He logged out of his computer, and took a cool drink from his can of Coke. He stood from his desk, attracting the attention of Barry and Joseph.

"Let's call it a day, gentlemen."

The men hastily logged out of their computers as Wesker did, and got their things together. The three walked out of the office, Wesker locking the door behind them with a new key that had their logo as the handle. Wesker wasn't very fond of the skeleton keys used in the station; Jill had often professed that because of these keys she could get anywhere she liked with her lockpick, and though the building was antique it didn't mean the security measures should be as well.

What if Jill decided to get nosy and walked into the wrong place?

He pushed the thought from his mind, feeling silly for worrying about such petty things. After all, it wasn't his problem if that should happen anyway. However, it might be unfortunate for Irons...

Wesker walked out of the building, pressing the button to the keyless entry on his black BMW. Once he got in, he sat for a moment and then placed the key in the ignition, the German sports car roaring to life. He put the car into drive and went on his way home, considering various fast food places as he drove. He sighed, remembering he had to get to the station early in the morning to interview Rebecca Chambers, a potential candidate.

_I can hardly wait_ He thinks, pushing his sunglasses closer to his face and smoothing his hair.

**Ah...Ideas have been scarce for me. This would explain the lag between chapters, though I do appreciate your patience!**

**I've been playing REmake lately, so I've started foreshadowing a bit of the mansion incident, but nothing heavily. Any ideas as to where I should take this story would be taken with great appreciation. I've got little general ideas here and there, but nothing spectacular. If nothing else, I might put this story on hiatus until more inspiration comes. I've been itching to write the reunion scene when Chris and Jill reunite post RE3...especially after that kiss in my other story, and all the pining away I'm nearly sure the two of them have done...  
**

** Either way, make a boy's day and review, eh? **


	8. Chapter 8

Jill tried to study her surroundings, but all she could see was complete and total darkness. She attempted to look down at the floor, widening her eyes as if it would kick in nocturnal vision. She sighed quietly as her eyes still didn't seem to adjust, and she placed her hand in front of her face. She squinted her eyes, trying desperately to see even the silhouette of her hand. She put her hand on her hip, giving up on sight. She was completely unaware of where she was, and the ominous silence was deafening. She took a step forward, and as she did so she heard a rumbling sound, along with a small vibration in the floor. Before she could react, the floor collapsed under her feet, and she fell into a flooded room of icy cold water that felt like needles in her skin. 

She wanted to get up out of the chilly water and find out where she was, but she felt as if she was paralyzed. She felt a hand stroke her face softly, and her hand would not move to find out who the hand belonged to. She felt panic begin to consume her mind as she was unable to move. Suddenly, the hand on her face stopped and she heard footsteps going away from her. All was quiet in this mysterious area until...

SLAM!

Jill flew up from her sleep, breathing heavily and shivering from such a horrible dream. She looked around her dark bedroom, and then her eyes met the alarm clock that prominently displayed the time to be 11:45. Jill touched her cheek, and then stood up from her bed. She took a deep breath, and noticed a familiar scent in her bedroom, a scent that didn't belong to her. It was a famous designer knockoff cologne, one her ex-boyfriend James used to wear. She narrowed her eyes and walked into the living room, where everything seemed completely normal. She glanced into the kitchen to the backdoor which was also undisturbed. She sighed, and deducted that the noise must've been from her dream. This valium had really done a number on her mind lately.

She turned around from the living room, and walked back to her bedroom, not noticing the picture in the floor most likely because of the darkness. It was an old picture of herself and James, with Jill's face scratched out of the picture.

.:The Next Day:.

It was starting to be a rough week for Wesker, who was glad that the end of it was near. He logged into his computer, and enjoyed the silent office. He was waiting on Rebecca Chambers to show up for their scheduled interview, which she had about five minutes to get to before he would no longer consider her for the position. He glanced over to the office door when he heard the clack of heels and a faint knock at the door.

"It's open." Wesker said with his trademark cool demeanor.

The door opened slowly, with caution and nerves Wesker could nearly smell as Rebecca Chambers entered the room. Her short auburn hair was well coiffed and she was dressed quite professionally. She attempted a genuine smile though Wesker saw completely through her facade.

"Hello, Mr. Wesker?"

He smiled, and stood up from his desk, not bothering to remove his sunglasses.

"Please, just Wesker. I'm assuming you're Miss Chambers?"

She nodded and the two shook hands.

"Just call me Rebecca. Pleased to meet you."

Wesker nodded as he sat down in his chair behind the desk, and motioned for her to take a seat in front of him.

"Here's my resume..." She said meekly, offering him a manila folder. "I thought you might like a hard copy."

Wesker took it from her gently, and looked through the files. Rebecca's degrees were quite impressive, she graduated from the same institute that he had many years ago. He had already decided that Rebecca would be a good addition to their team, and planned to simply tell her the good news. Kevin Ryman had applied for the position yet again, and other than that she was all that had applied. Kevin was not a good choice to Wesker because he took things too lightly; responsibility and accountability weren't a big deal to him. Besides, they were looking for a medic and Ryman wasn't trained beyond standard for the position. Rebecca on the other hand was a doctor, fresh out of school and a prodigy.

Wesker watched Rebecca squirm silently as he looked over the resume. He looked up to her, and took a breath.

"Well, Rebecca..."

-Meanwhile-

James Edwards was not a bitter man, until it came to Jill Valentine. In his eyes, she was everything he had looked for in a woman. She was intelligent, courageous, and tough...but at the same time she was beautiful and had a smile that made his heart sing even when he was angry with her. He didn't really understand why they broke up, though she said that she didn't see their relationship going anywhere. He had always been insecure about her close friendship with Chris Redfield. To him, the guy was a lot better looking than he, and was close to Jill for years. Jill often felt more comfortable telling Chris things than James, which really made him upset.

It was all too close last night when Jill nearly caught him in her house. He still thought she was gorgeous, but he also wanted to remind her that Chris Redfield was no good for her, but he was. He was perfect for her, why couldn't she see it? All he wanted was to be happy, why wouldn't she want that for him too?

He gritted his teeth at the thoughts resonating in his head and looked through the window to Jill's bedroom. He was standing at the side of the house, rather secluded by a large tree. She watched her toss in turn before she woke up to the radiant morning sun shining through the windows.

_Jill will be mine._

**Kind of a short chapter, but I felt like updating. Special thanks to those of you who gave me some more inspiration for this story, I think I've got a great idea where I'm going to take it. At least for now, anyway... **_  
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	9. Chapter 9

Chris had only thought his eye hurt the day before. His eye was literally throbbing, and had taken about four Adravil. He looked over to the back of the bottle, looking past the Umbrella logo prominently displayed on the label for dosage charts. He didn't exactly want to overdose on Adravil of all things. He put the bottle down on the counter and was was walking to his front door when he was stopped by the shrill ring of the phone. He silently debated answering before he left for work, he'd risk being late again. He sighed loudly and jogged to his phone, picking it up hastily. 

"Yeah?"

"Chris, it's Jill."

"Oh, Jill...hey. How you holding up?"

"Good..." she paused, something she didn't often do with him.

"Is something wrong?" Chris asked, hearing a hint of worry in her voice.

"I'm not sure yet...but something odd happened last night, and I'm almost positive it was because my ex was in my house."

"Last night?"

"Yeah. I found an old picture of us, with my face scratched out. I think he did it."

Chris' eyes narrowed, sending a shooting pain through the one he was punched in. He was protective as a friend, even more so with those he held especially dear. He could feel anger pit up in his stomach, and he bit his bottom lip.

"You think you're okay to stay there for now?"

Jill scoffed. "Yeah."

"I think Wesker's having you come back tomorrow, and I have to go in today. I'll call you when I get out of there, I'll pick you up."

There was silence on the line as Jill thought. "I'm really okay by myself, Chris. I just want to know what he was doing here."

"I'm coming to get you later." He said with a tone in his voice that left no room for argument. He wasn't angry with her, but he was still angry with himself after allowing her to get hurt...and himself.

"Fine, see you then."

Chris hung up the phone quickly and left his apartment in a hurry. He had about fifteen minutes to get to work when it took at least twenty. He kept thinking about that creep breaking in at her house...and it made him extremely angry. He sped to work, making it five minutes after he was scheduled to be here.

He walked briskly into the station, aggrivated he couldn't get a good parking place. He walked through the lobby, nodding at the cute secretary who gave him her best smile. He walked into the hallway, and quickly up the stairs passing other officers who waved and said their hellos. He quickly walked into the hallway that the S.T.A.R.S. office was located, and almost ran right into a young woman who appeared to be leaving the office.

"Oh, excuse me." She said quietly with the voice of a young girl.

"I'm sorry." He replied, eyeing her business attire and short auburn hair.

She studied him as well, noticing the S.T.A.R.S. insignia on his shirt.

"Are you with S.T.A.R.S.?" She asked almost excitedly.

"Yeah. I'm Chris Redfield, pointman for Alpha team."

"Nice to meet you Chris, I'm Rebecca Chambers, the new medic for Bravo team."

The two shook hands, and her cheeks became a light shade of pink.

"Nice to meet you too Rebecca. Congratulations and welcome to the team."

"Thank you. I have to be going, I need to go to orientation. Before I go, may I look at your eye?"

He shrugged. "The doctors say it'll be fine in a few days, but if you want to look at it I guess you can."

She reached over gently and touched under his face, and slowly touched the bruise. He winced, a shockwave going through his entire body from the pain. She jumped as well, startled by his reaction.

"You should put some ice on that."

He smirked. "Yeah, that's what the doctors said. I haven't done it since last night."

She nodded, and looked at her watch. "I have to get to orientation now. Nice meeting you, Chris."

He nodded back and gave her a small wave.

She smiled and walked away from him through the door, her cheeks blatantly showing her attraction to him.

Chris walked into the office, to see Wesker and the rest of the team at their desks. Wesker and the others looked up to him, and many of their eyes widened at the deep purple bruise over his eye, which was nearly swollen shut. Forest smirked loudly, and Wesker placed his hands on his desk, showing no reaction to the injury.

"Chris, I needed your report yesterday. After you finish it, you can leave."

He nodded, and walked over to his computer.

"Looks like you really got slugged!" Richard said quietly to Chris, who had 'borrowed' Jill's desk for the day which was across from his.

"Yeah, long story." Chris said quietly as he typed his login name on his computer.

"Hey, did you see that redhead? She's our new medic."

Chris nodded. "She seems like a pretty nice girl."

Richard smiled. "Joe asked her to come to his barbecue tomorrow. You and Jill are gonna go, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I know I am, I think Jill is too."

"Man, she's cute. I can't wait to get hurt now."

Chris looked over at him, and against his better judgment kept quiet and allowed Richard to finish.

"How did we end up with _two_ hot chicks on the squad?"

Chris sighed and shook his head as the men chuckled.

-Meanwhile-

Jill sat on the couch, munching on an English muffin and sipping on orange juice while watching _The Price is Right._ It was her favorite show to watch when she wasn't at work, and she always guessed the prices. The show had been around about as long as she was alive, and she could always remember it being on. At that moment, the contestants were bidding on a safe, which apparently had some kind of 'theft deterrent.' Jill laughed at the statement.

"Oh, please."

Jill was a mechanical expert. She could find a way into anything locked, or otherwise 'theft deterrent.' If she couldn't pick the lock or pry it open, she could use explosives.

"Two-thousand!" she said, thinking about how dumb the contestants must be for listening to the other audience members. She was interrupted by the doorbell before she could find out how much the safe was actually worth, but she wasn't really perturbed by it. She set down the orange juice, and walked over to her door cautiously. Anyone who knew her knew that she wasn't usually home during the day. She looked through the peephole and saw only flowers. She opened the door, and a man handed her a large vase full of flowers, most of them being red roses. She took the vase from him and signed his clipboard as he asked. She set down the vase on the coffee table, removing the card. She opened the envelope and read the card.

"Get well soon, I love you.

--James"

Jill sighed loudly and put the card back in its envelope to show Chris later. Otherwise, she would have promptly destroyed the card. James meant nothing to her, especially since she suspected he was lurking about in her house. She decided to keep the flowers, he had sent her her favorites--roses. She went back to her seat on the couch, and leaned back as she continued to watch the show. Apparently the old woman has guessed correctly, and was on the tail end of her game that she got to play in order to win a new car.

She picked up her orange juice, and sighed loudly. He shoulder was hurting from the puncture wound and the doctors had simply told her to take Adravil for the pain. She got up from her seat and walked into the bathroom, pulling open her medicine cabinet and taking out the bottle. She took two of the little white pills out, and tossed them into her mouth. She took a long drink of her orange juice and put the medicine back in the cabinet, laughing to herself about how many she had taken lately. It was lucky for the citizens of Raccoon City that Umbrella had their pharmaceutical plants there, the medicines were fairly cheaper compared to where she'd seen it elsewhere. It was one of the perks Umbrella's presence brought. They were also boosting their city's blossoming economy more and more each day. She walked into the kitchen and put her empty glass in the sink.

She looked over to the back door that was in the kitchen and noticed knicks in her wood trim around the door, evidence of prying. She placed her hand on her hip and sighed loudly, now realizing completely and totally that James was in her house last night, and that he most likely planned on coming back. She stretched and looked back to the comfortable couch which seemed to be screaming her name. She walked back to the couch, rubbing her eyes and lying down on it. It seemed the valium wasn't completely out of her system, and she fell asleep rather quickly on the couch knowing if James was stupid enough to try and break in again, she would hear him come in and wake up this time.

**Alright, so Rebecca has been introduced to everyone with the exception of Jill now. I'm just going to say now that Chris isn't attracted to Rebecca, though she is kind of smitten with him. I will tell you I've got plans for maybe some Richard/Rebecca flirtation...couldn't hurt, right?**

** NEXT CHAPTER: Chris will be picking up Jill, to hear about the new 'girl,' and then the barbecue! James might go snooping through Jill's house, something that will cause Chris and Jill MUCH embarrassment. Anyway, stay tuned...and leave me a review!**

**It would be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance. **


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